


Wasn’t It Yesterday

by Dameceles



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Domestic, Family Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, No Deeprealms, Parent-Child Relationship, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-08-09 15:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7806601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dameceles/pseuds/Dameceles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a special day for Seigbert, but that doesn't mean he doesn't get scared.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. sunset to sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Siegbert is happy his mother came home, but to overcome a fear is asking a lot of a little boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In celebration of Hinoka’s birthday (8/18) some family fluff with lil’ Sieg.

It’s early enough in the day that all Siegbert could manage was to sleepily nestle his head against Marx’s shoulder as he’s carried in his arms. Hardly an uncommon event as ever since the boy had been born his father had held and carried him- to meetings, to meals, and on rides. The child always felt peaceful while held, and though he was grown enough to walk on his own preferred to be carried close.

He was nearly asleep when light and soft words tickled his ears. “I see Siegbert has his favorite pillow.”

His eyes fluttered as his father replied, “It’s one you favor as well, though you hadn’t minded sharing before.”

The shared laughter that followed woke the little boy fully. He blinked open dark eyes and raised his head- inhaling as he saw the woman who stood before them. He reached tiny hands out to her, “Mama!”

Hinoka grinned as she plucked Siegbert from Marx’s arms and into hers. She cooed, “Did my baby boy miss me?” Her fingertips tickled under his chin and made him laugh. 

“He wasn’t the only one who missed you.” Marx wrapped them both in a loose embrace and leaned in to kiss the corner of Hinoka’s mouth, which she deepened by angling her face to catch his kiss in full.

Ignoring his parents’ crowding Siegbert leaned against his mother’s body, inadvertently looking over her shoulder. His eyes grew wide as he took in the fearsome beast that was tied up behind her. Quickly dissolving into tears, he hid his face in the crook of her neck.

Gentle hands touched his back and the top of his head. His mother’s voice was warm in against his ear, “Siegbert, whatever is the matter?”

He shook his head and held in wails of fear.

The big hand on his back rubbed soothing circles as his father said, “Ah, he must’ve seen your tenma at the tree.”

“Senshi?” Hinoka’s chest and shoulders rose and fell with a sigh. “You don’t have to be scared of her, Siegbert. I promised not to take you flying again until you’re ready, remember?”

Although she sounded sad, the hand atop his head pet through his red curls with comforting strokes. After a few moments more, Siegbert was able to quiet his tears and turned his face enough to gaze at his parents. They both were watching him with concern, but his father’s gaze was warm and his mother’s face was smiling- that’s how the boy knew everything was alright. Even as he glanced at the terrifying creature, he resisted tears by hugging Hinoka all the more firmly. 

His mother asked, “Has he ever reacted to your horse this way?”

His father replied, “No, he’s quite fond of Froh.”

Hearing the name perked Siegbert right up. He looked to Marx and asked, “Time for a ride?”

“How about a ride with Hinoka?” His father rumbled with a quiet laugh as his mother’s face went rosy.

“Yes!” Siegbert wriggled and pointed in the direction of the stables. “Mama, go for ride!”

Despite his squirming, Hinoka’s hold on him remained steady. She said with a sigh, “Alright, alright, we’ll ride together.”

However, she walked in the wrong direction. “First my brave boy should say hello to Senshi, or she’ll feel lonely when we leave without her.”

Siegbert tried to hide his face, but his mother turned him around in her arms when she came to a stop beside the tethered sky horse. Although he quivered, the boy didn’t look away. Instead he kept his eyes open and made himself look.

Marx had walked with them and was currently holding up a palm full of dried apples, which the tenma had lifted its head to inspect. Siegbert watched as the animal nosed then lipped up the treat, in the exactly same away he’d seen Froh do countless times before. With that familiarity the boy noticed other things- hoofed legs, big flanks, fluffy ears, long mane and tail. Things that all looked as soft and warm as he knew horses to be. Only those wings that’d carried them to scary heights were different.

Hinoka called out a greeting, balanced the boy in one arm to reach out her other hand. She ran her fingers over the white plumes, carefully petting. When brought her arm in, there was a small, downy feather between her fingers. 

His mother asked, “Do you want to say hello?”

Siegbert nodded. He did as he’d seen and reached out his hand. As he barely touched the feathered wing with his fingertips, Siegbert gasped- it felt as soft as clouds. His own voice was almost as soft as he greeted without fear, “Hello…”


	2. likeness and differences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Siegbert watches his father in the mirror and finds more than one familiar face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More family fluff in honor of Marxander’s birthday (10/27), Sieg's still very little.

Siegbert sat on his father's lap and watched as the adult man carefully applied a blade to his own skin. Marx used its edge to remove foam which covered the lower half of his face. Steady strokes stripped the white away and scraped it into a basin on the wash table.

The child's eyes always went wide whenever the lather was applied, both wary and fascinated by the sudden change to a face he knew so well. The first time he'd seen it he'd burst into tears, but Marx had quietly spoken until he'd calmed— and now that he witnessed the process of lathering and shaving regularly his alarm had been banished.

Instead Siegbert kept moving his wide-eyed gaze between his father in the flesh to the reflection of them within the mirror hanging on the back wall. Something about the way the mirror image echoes their movements was just as captivating to the boy as was his father’s face being steadily revealed. He knew to stay quiet as he watched and to not squirm, but he couldn’t help a wiggle once the last stripe of white was scraped into the basin.

With the other bowl on the stand, Marx rinsed with water then picked up a bottle and splashed on bay rum then he applied talcum powder. All the smells made Siegbert sneeze. His father’s big hands came down to brace him when he wobbled, and had the child looking right up into his freshly shaven face.

Marx asked, "What is the prince's judgement, am I presentable?"

Siegbert grabbed fistfuls of his father’s shirt and scrambled to stand. The hands on him merely shifted to help support him as he stretched up and patted all the skin he could reach. "No scratch, good!" The child pronounced, before his expression crumpled with nervous curiosity. "Papa..."

"Yes, Siegbert?"

"Faces look alike?" The boy turned and pointed at mirror.

The image imitated the movement of his father’s dark eyes. “That’s our reflections-”

“No, no!” Siegbert turned back around to touch his father’s face and then his own. “Look alike?”

At his words the very edges of Marx’s mouth curved up. "Well, our faces will never be completely the same. I can find both your grandfather and grandmother when I look at myself, just like when I look at you I see your mother and I. That red-"

"Mama’s hair!” Siegbert gleefully reached up to the curls atop his head. He then grabbed onto one of his father’s fingers and tugged with the demand, “Where see?"

"The shape of your eyes are like hers, smiling. The shape of your face too, gentle." Marx lightly trailed his fingers to each feature he spoke of, next carefully tapping the tip of his nose. "You might've inherited her nose, but it may grow into mine. Sometimes fate is inescapable."

Siegbert returned the gesture, patting his father. "Nice nose."

"So Hinoka keeps telling me." Marx didn’t smile, but the boy heard the happiness in his voice— so he smiled for him.


	3. seedlings to sunflowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a special day for Siegbert, but that doesn't mean he doesn't get scared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In celebration of Siegbert’s birthday (5/28) some quality time with his mama.

Today was special. His clothes were different, the food was different, even how people talked to him was different. Siegbert wasn’t sure if he liked it, since he’d had to spend the morning with his nanny rather than father or mother. Yet he hadn’t found it so bad…until the midday meal had come.

At first it’d been a good thing. The little boy had been brought to both his parents, even though they’d stood in a big room in front of big chairs. That hadn’t been the only ones there either, lots and lots of people he didn’t know filled up the room.

Siegbert had been in front of strangers before. Marx would often stand and talk to strangers long enough that he’d gotten used to drowsing against his shoulder even with others watching. Yet this time rather being held in his father or mother’s arms, they’d instead had him stand on his own two feet— and not facing at them, but instead all the people who filled up the big room. 

He’s never seen so many people in one place before. There were lots and lots, too many for him to count. His father had started to speak behind him, but Siegbert couldn’t hear his words. It was those eyes, so many looking at him— it’d made his head feel fuzzy and belly upset. He didn’t like it one bit. 

So the little boy turned, hoping to hide from the strangers’ staring. But before he could even try to grasp a pant-leg or skirt large hands caught hold of his shoulders and turned him back around. The sight of all those staring people blurred when his own eyes filled with tears. He tried to stay quiet, like he’d been told to be by his nanny— whimpers and sobs shook through him even still.

When he tried to turn again the hands holding held him fast, let all those eyes look. Siegbert felt his little legs fold beneath him as he began to cry in earnest. When the large hands were replaced by a different pair and lifted him up off the floor, he wailed. However, arms wrapped tight around him and his face was finally hidden by a solid, warm shoulder.

His tiny hands clutched to fabric as he buried his face into it, taking comfort despite the scratchiness of the lace. He felt that they were moving, Marx’s voice fading, fading—until the clicks of a door opening and shutting made it grow quiet. 

"Shhhh, Siegbert, it's alright.” Hinoka's voice broke through the little boy’s whimpers and sobs. “I’ve got you, shh-sshhhh."

His mother's hands held him, and were now rubbing gentle circles. It helped the tears to stop, and he was able to quiet his crying to mere sniffles. But he didn’t look up, even though his head wasn’t fuzzy nor belly upset anymore— he still felt scared.

There was a long moment he simply sniffled and breathed, then Hinoka asked, “Are you ready to go back out?” 

The little boy didn’t say anything. He didn’t look up as he shook his head with his face still pressed against her shoulder. He felt his mother’s chest lift and fall with a sigh. 

“Siegbert, is something wrong?”

It took a long time, but he managed admit, “…strangers s-scary.”

“So that’s it, the crowds?” His mother’s hands shifted, one petting his hair. “I understand. It can be frightening to be in front of so many people.”

Her words didn’t sound right. He’d never seen her scared— of anything. With a hitched breath he argued, “Mama not scared.”

Hinoka’s abrupt laugh softly stirred his hair. “What makes you think that? It’s okay to be sacred. That’s how we’re able to be brave.”

“Brave?” Siegbert lifted his face and looked at hers. He saw that she was smiling.

“Bravery is when you act even when you’re scared. I have to be brave too, since there are plenty of things that frighten me.” The little boy made a disbelieving sound, but his mother just laughed again. “I’ll tell you a few.”

Hinoka’s hand moved from his head, and the little boy watched her count with her fingers as she said, “Walking in Nohrian high heels scares me. Being asked to sew a tapestry scares me. The trouble our retainers make scares me.” She paused and the laughter left her voice. “I was scared I’d never get to meet you.”

Confusion jittered through him and Siegbert’s face scrunched up. “Why?”

“Children are a blessing from the gods. And for a while I thought I didn’t deserve any.” Hinoka blinked, eyelashes sticking together with moisture. “But you’re here, my baby boy. When you’re around, it’s easy for me to be brave.”

Although she was trying not to cry, Hinoka was still smiling. It only added to Siegbert’s confusion. Yet the little boy snuggled close to hug and kiss so that she wouldn’t feel bad. It worked, gaining him another bought of laughter as his mother fussed over his special clothes and her own.

When they finally went through those doors both Hinoka’s and Siegbert’s eyes were dry. King Marx of Nohr greeted his queen and heir, while all in attendance to the celebration wished the child a happy birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this little family fluff series with baby!Sieg and a side of Hinoka/Marx. I hope you all enjoyed these birthday drabbles.


End file.
